Reviews.

the contrary , in Falstaff do lack of honour and cowardice . The chivalric ago sounded the key-note of this character in its thrasouic boasting ; and even to us Falstaff appears in all the breadth and height of his nature , when ho utters his imprecations against a coward , and reveals at the same time his own cowardice and bragging insolence . His gifts are here displayed with the most varied

brilliancy ; his cowardice exposes him to dension , as before his size had done—his lies must extricate him ; in this art he is short in memory bnt long in practice ; he is inventive iu his bragging , shameless in his inventions , undismayed in his shamolessness , ready for evasion , shnffling , misrepresentation and tricks . " " And yet , " asks tho author , " how is it we do not abhor the cowardly Jack as such ; that , on the

contrary , we find ourselves evenf eeling undisturbed delight m him ? And he answers the question thus , " There are many complex causes which tend to moderate , and even entirely to bribe over our moral judgment upon this character . Readily and involuntarily we mingle pleasure in the delineation of the poet , with , p leasure in the subject delineated . The liveliness of the picture , the abundance of the choicest wit ,

the unusually skilful touch in the choice of the ridiculous and the comic in the mere exterior of this phenomenon , and , finally , tho blending of the ideal with the individual , which allows us to recognise in Falstaff now a typical character , and now an actual well-known personage ; all this is done with such masterly power , that it is excusable if anv transfer their admiration from the work of art to the

subject of it . But even the subject itself has that within it which exercises a corrupting influence upon the estimate of its moral value . Shakespeare says of Parolles , in All's Well thai Ends Well , that ho is so consummate in baseness that wo take pleasure in it ; that' ho hath out-villained villainy so far that the rarity redeems him . ' In this delight in anything complete in itself we look upon Falstaff . " And

yet again a point which influences our judgment is " the contrast between the great sensual inclinations and desires of this cynical epicurean , and his small capability for enjoyment ; between his paralytic old age and his affectation of youth , between tho easy existence after which his ponderous body longs , and to which this burden in itself never suffers him to attain The pictnre of

human frailty , weakness , and dependence upon outward things which Falstaff presents , softens our moral vigour . " In the Second Part of Henry IV . Falstaff shows less attractively . The honour of slaying Percy had been transferred to him by the Pri ie Henry , and creates for him , among all people , a reputation for heroism . "A store of good names , of which he stood in need , has

been accumulated upon him without merit . . . . The worthy Chief Justice encourages Falstaff expressly to make use of the good state of his reputation , that it may be lasting . The poet and the trnly careful friends of Falstaff have omitted nothing to keep him on the road to honour , upon which , undeservedly , chance aud the sacrifice of the Prince , have placed him . " But , as is pointed out ,

" all this makes no impression upon Falstaff ' s insensible nature . Instead of being raised by the fame of Shrewsbury , he is only more shameless and vulgar . " Still , though we see him fighting and brawling in the streets , rebuked openly by the Chief Justice , tfciom lie threatens , and defrauding the State , once again , on the apprehension of Colville , an undeserved honour forces itself upon him .

Lancaster wishes to extol this deed , as his brother had the deed of Shrewsbury . All in vain . " He sinks lower and lower , plunders tho Shallows , and when "he meets with his glaring and well-deserved fall , justice and order regain their rights . " Sightly the author contrasts tho silly conceits of Shallow with tho bolder and fresher rodomontades of Falstaff , and shows how this contrast again excites

our sympathy with the latter . Still finer is tho contrast which is notable between Falstaff ' s ruin and the return from error of Prince Henry . In the Merry Wives of Windsor the descent of Falstaff is still more rapid . Here , as in Part II . . of Henry IV ., tho Prince and Falstaff are separated . Tho latter is " removed from tho ennobling presence of that witty society , wholly abandoned to

himself , and sinking to a greater degree than Henry rose ; at last , even hardly conceivable as it may appear , utterly fallen iu his own estimation . " Then , in this play , he retains all his shamolessness , but his judgment forsakes him . " Twice ho allows himself in the grossest manner to bo cheated , baulked and beaten , without being in the least more heedfnl of a third trap laid for him . "

And then , " when all is at length unriddled to him , tho man who never could attain to a knowledge of himself , is ashamed even to self-contempt . When he is thus degraded before himself , and in his own judgment , Shakespeare might have hoped to direct tho judgment of his spectators with respect to this character , more in accordance with his own view . " But this , wo are told , would have been

impossible . He had already sunk so low , that though all assail himself , he might not have thought worse of himself . But " on the side of his wit , an impression could still bo made upon him . This was the gift by which he felt himself superior to blockheads , and equal with the clever . On this very point , which corrupted our own judgment , our judgment was to be rectified ; and while the poet lowered him

in our estimation , in this last recommendatory point he gave us the surest token that he wished to remove him entirely from our esteem . And thus it is with Falstaff iu this p ' ay . All become thoroughly weary of him , aud when he has lost his last attraction they cast " him away . He had thought neitlwr caution nor wit necessary to meet the burghers' honesty and ignorance , and ho is

bamboozled by both . He is obliged to acknowledge himself that ' wit may be made a Jack-a-lent , when ' tis upon ill-employment ;' the crafty wit is made ' an ox and an ass , ' the robber is fleeced . . . . . Thus degraded before himself , he seems so now not only to his companions , but to tho reader and the spectator also . " Thus have wc followed the career of Falstaff through tiie three

plays in which he figures . By noting , as the author has done , thi--progress , we are able tho better to judge of the character and the purpose of Shakespoafc in depicting it . Falstaff iu fact can only be justly estimated by being thus considered , and those with whom this class of study is a favourite will find these Commentaries of infinite value , as , affordinsr them a moat perfect entertainment .

Reviews.

Wo wish , indeed , we could have marked our summary still more conspicuously with tho evidences of Gervinus' most careful treatment , but for the samo reason that wo have been compelled to omit all notice of his Commentaries on other plays , and notably ou that of Hamlet , for tho same reason havo wo been obliged to curtail his sketch of Falstaff .

In only remains to add a word of praise as to the chapter on Hamlet , a mastery of which , as we have previously remarked is , perhaps , tho best evidence wo conld havo of tho merits of a Shakespearian commentator . The analysis in the volume before us is in tho highest degree interesting , and many who read it will probably bo amazed at its results . Nor should wo fail to direct attention to tho closing chapter , wherein the author , having criticised severally the works of

tho poet , contemplates " as a whole the position of the poet and his poetry . " This , also , we aro obliged to dismiss thus curtly , but our readers , who aro not governed by such limits as we aro , will , doubtless , find the needful leisure for its study . Iu flue , the volume ia one which should find a place in every scholar ' s library , for few Shakespearian critics havo done so much in the way of exposition as Gervinus , and few so worthily appreciate our great poet .

The Magazines Of The Month.

THE MAGAZINES OF THE MONTH .

WE have read this month ' s number of Blackwood with great pleasure . The articles aro few in number , but all of them are excellent specimens of our magazine literature . " The Abode of Snow , " in which " Zanskar , " an almost unknown region , is described , and " Alice Lorraine" aro our favourites . In the latter serial the unfortunate

heroine plans a very unheroic escape from all her troubles . ; but doubtless in April wo shall havo matters set somewhat straight . Mabel Lovejoy once more appears on tho scone , while her lovor , yonng Lorraine , is gradually being restored , chiefly by her careful nursing , to health . " The Speeches of Lord Lyttou " is a readable sketch of the late Lord Lytton as a politician , based on his utterances

in Parliament , a collection of which , edited by his son , the present Lord , has recently been published . Tho political article , which treats of " The _ Prospects of the Session , " is marked by more than the usual moderation of tone . This , indeed , can hardly be otherwise when the conduct of parties in both Houses of Parliament is thus distinguished . There aro , in fact , no burning or blazing questions to disturb our equanimity just now . Tant miens say we .

In Eraser are still continued the very able account of " The Early Kings of Norway , " and a Lady ' s Sketches of " German Homo Life . " In tho latter somo account is given of German food , and tho various methods of preparing it—a subject which , as it is extremely wellhandled , we cordially commend to the notice of our readers . Major

Noel contributes some interesting " Recollections of the Stage . " " The Place of Sterndale Bennett in Music " is discussed , with a just appreciation of Bennett ' s merits as a composer , and with , wo hope , a just expectation of his future rank among musicians . In tho article on " The Dangers of the Sea" tho Captain of an ocean

steamer offers several practical suggestions , especially against that most appalling of all clangors to tho ocean-traveller—fire . In another article are discussed " Somo political aspects of Sir Samnel Baker ' s Expedition up the Nile , " to which those to whom the subject is of interest will do well to lend their attention . Tho rest of tho number

is equally good . Certainly tho strong point in Tinsley ' s is its serial fiction . It is perhaps a somewhat difficult task to follow tho thread of four concurrent stories ; but a difficulty of this kind we always face more readily when tho material of the stories is excellent . " With Harp

and Crown , " and Mr . Farjeou ' s " Love ' s Victory " are highly to bo commended , and in tho present number aro fully as attractive as over . Dr . C . Maurice Davies discusses pleasantly enough , in his " Social Status Quo , " tho most noteworthy events of the past month ,

and H . Schutz Wilson gives a capital sketch of "A Protruding Tooth , between Saas and Samplon . " There are also some very pretty poems , for one of which , " A Troubadour ' s Prayer , " our social friend Dr . Davies is responsible , so far at least as its present English form is concerned .

Belgravia is pretty impartial in the distribution of its attentions , being fiction and plain matter of fact , "Hostages to Fortune , " and " A Study in Gray , " representing the former , while among tho latter wo have remarked several contributions that are eminently readable . Such for instance , as those on " Tho Postal Telegraphtho Pressand

, , Race Meetings , " " Within sound of Bow Bells , " and Mr . F . Talbot ' s article on " Tho Trades and Crafts of Shakespero , " Mr . Compton Reado is very successfnl in his opening sketch of " Oxford Raffles , " and there is something to be gleaned . from " Sport aud Adventure in Hudson ' s

Bay Country , " in the way of information as well as entertainment . We note in this number a slight tendency towards tho discussion of matters relating to or connected with sport . Wo have named two papers answering this description already—a third is " Cheating tho Nor' easter , " tho illustrations aro capitally drawn .

In Cornhill the " Two Rivals " still continue to be the lending fea teres , this forms , in fact , tho balk of the contents . But thercTare other items which deserve not to bo overlooked , and among these may bo mentioned tho articles on "Topham Beauolerk , " or "Tho Sun ' s

Surroundings and tho Coming L ' ulipso , " " Tho Siege of Florence , " and " On the Disposal of tho Dead . " The last of those has boon , as < Hir readers are auaro , a prominent subject for discussion for some time past , and tho present contribution to our knowledge of former practices will be found in the hi ghest degree interestinc . ' Tho Wrskininster Papc ; v , wlwh jnst . lv hi . Ids n . foremost rank among periodicals relating to Chess , V / hi « t . nod such like . «? inu >\ coni-run *